sneer. "No sudden moves."
She held it out to Brevo, who in turn handed it over his shoulder to Galloway.
"Now let him go."
"I could." Galloway's sick smile was absolutely feral. "One watch, one man. You choose." He pushed Brevo roughly to the side as the stone-faced man who'd followed her and fought with them last night emerged from her backroom with Adam at gunpoint.
"No," she whispered against a throat gone dry with terror. This was not the plan. How would any of them escape now?
"Make a choice or they both die in a tragic murder-suicide scene. Depression is a serious problem during the holidays, isn't it Carter? Oh, wait, that's not your name right now."
"You have what you want, Galloway ," Adam said. His voice was tight against the gun barrel pressed against his ribs. "Crawl back under a rock and be happy."
"Do I?" Galloway glanced at the link on the watch were the micro-SD card was stored. "Why should I trust you?"
"What have you got to lose? I already know you're a backstabbing asshole." Adam rolled his eyes, refusing to look her direction.
She took that as a bad sign. The plan , she reminded herself. "So go on. Confirm it's what you wanted so bad," she offered. "There's the computer."
Galloway scoffed at her, then looked at Adam. "She's smarter than you."
He was definitely a greedy bastard, but he wasn't a complete idiot, evidenced by his bringing Brevo as insurance. She hoped that meant Renata had escaped.
"If he moves, shoot him," Galloway said to the man holding Adam.
Selena tried to breathe, but it was a challenge. Her heart was breaking. This one moment could wreck more than the upcoming holiday for her family. Brevo injured, his sister missing – when her family heard, they would be incensed. "Well," she pushed, just wanting this over before anything else could go wrong. "Satisfied?"
Galloway leered at her. "Are you offering something else?"
"Careful," Adam warned him. "Don't cross that line, Galloway."
" Oh, I see. Treason's okay, but I'm not allowed to take my fair shot with your lady?" Galloway laughed. "Maybe you have changed."
The computer chimed and Selena hoped that part of their plan had worked properly. Adam had arranged for someone he worked with to monitor her system off-site. Supposedly the same someone was looking for Renata. She could hope they'd rescued her already.
Momentarily distracted and clearly pleased by the information displayed on the monitor, Galloway missed her signal for Brevo to duck.
Her cousin groaned and slumped to the floor, in what she hoped was a fake faint. Adam knocked the gun from the other man's hand even as Galloway fired at her.
But Adam had warned her of the man's tactics and his weaknesses, claiming he hadn't changed. She'd been ready for the attack and neatly avoided it by throwing herself low and to Galloway's left.
From her hiding place under the countertop, she felt the floor and half wall at her back shake as Brevo and Galloway battled. She heard a display case at the other end of the counter shatter and bodies and boots slammed against the floor.
Finally Adam gave the all-clear and she rolled to her feet, relief flood ing her system when Adam smiled. He dusted his palms against his jeans. "Sorry about the mess."
She ran to him and wrapped her arms tight about him as men in dark uniforms rushed in from the backroom. Adam certainly had some kind of connections.
"Brevo?"
"He's fine," Adam said, smoothing a hand over her hair. "A medic is checking him out. You did well. Both of you."
"I didn't expect –"
The bell above her door chimed, cutting her off. She turned to see a well-dressed man in an expensive gray suit with a bright red holiday tie walk in. She was about to beg the new customer to come back after the holidays, but he spoke first.
"We appreciate your assistance, Miss Vaccaro." He looked past her to Adam. "Mr. Maxwell."
Adam gave a curt nod , but didn't say a word. Questions flitted through her mind, Renata's status at the top of
She held it out to Brevo, who in turn handed it over his shoulder to Galloway.
"Now let him go."
"I could." Galloway's sick smile was absolutely feral. "One watch, one man. You choose." He pushed Brevo roughly to the side as the stone-faced man who'd followed her and fought with them last night emerged from her backroom with Adam at gunpoint.
"No," she whispered against a throat gone dry with terror. This was not the plan. How would any of them escape now?
"Make a choice or they both die in a tragic murder-suicide scene. Depression is a serious problem during the holidays, isn't it Carter? Oh, wait, that's not your name right now."
"You have what you want, Galloway ," Adam said. His voice was tight against the gun barrel pressed against his ribs. "Crawl back under a rock and be happy."
"Do I?" Galloway glanced at the link on the watch were the micro-SD card was stored. "Why should I trust you?"
"What have you got to lose? I already know you're a backstabbing asshole." Adam rolled his eyes, refusing to look her direction.
She took that as a bad sign. The plan , she reminded herself. "So go on. Confirm it's what you wanted so bad," she offered. "There's the computer."
Galloway scoffed at her, then looked at Adam. "She's smarter than you."
He was definitely a greedy bastard, but he wasn't a complete idiot, evidenced by his bringing Brevo as insurance. She hoped that meant Renata had escaped.
"If he moves, shoot him," Galloway said to the man holding Adam.
Selena tried to breathe, but it was a challenge. Her heart was breaking. This one moment could wreck more than the upcoming holiday for her family. Brevo injured, his sister missing – when her family heard, they would be incensed. "Well," she pushed, just wanting this over before anything else could go wrong. "Satisfied?"
Galloway leered at her. "Are you offering something else?"
"Careful," Adam warned him. "Don't cross that line, Galloway."
" Oh, I see. Treason's okay, but I'm not allowed to take my fair shot with your lady?" Galloway laughed. "Maybe you have changed."
The computer chimed and Selena hoped that part of their plan had worked properly. Adam had arranged for someone he worked with to monitor her system off-site. Supposedly the same someone was looking for Renata. She could hope they'd rescued her already.
Momentarily distracted and clearly pleased by the information displayed on the monitor, Galloway missed her signal for Brevo to duck.
Her cousin groaned and slumped to the floor, in what she hoped was a fake faint. Adam knocked the gun from the other man's hand even as Galloway fired at her.
But Adam had warned her of the man's tactics and his weaknesses, claiming he hadn't changed. She'd been ready for the attack and neatly avoided it by throwing herself low and to Galloway's left.
From her hiding place under the countertop, she felt the floor and half wall at her back shake as Brevo and Galloway battled. She heard a display case at the other end of the counter shatter and bodies and boots slammed against the floor.
Finally Adam gave the all-clear and she rolled to her feet, relief flood ing her system when Adam smiled. He dusted his palms against his jeans. "Sorry about the mess."
She ran to him and wrapped her arms tight about him as men in dark uniforms rushed in from the backroom. Adam certainly had some kind of connections.
"Brevo?"
"He's fine," Adam said, smoothing a hand over her hair. "A medic is checking him out. You did well. Both of you."
"I didn't expect –"
The bell above her door chimed, cutting her off. She turned to see a well-dressed man in an expensive gray suit with a bright red holiday tie walk in. She was about to beg the new customer to come back after the holidays, but he spoke first.
"We appreciate your assistance, Miss Vaccaro." He looked past her to Adam. "Mr. Maxwell."
Adam gave a curt nod , but didn't say a word. Questions flitted through her mind, Renata's status at the top of
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